Thought you might find these interesting...

Finishing up the last weeks of my semester, and we've had some very somber material in Comp I. Definitely made me take a step back and think about things.

Why Colleges Shower Their Students With A's

America's Most Overrated Product: the Bachelor's Degree

The Age of Educational Romanticism

In the Basement of the Ivory Tower

...and also:

The Five Minute University (VIDEO)

Did You Know? (Version 3.0) (VIDEO)

These articles were definitely not the type I was expecting to see in a college course, although I'm happy to say that so far my college of choice is nothing like those mentioned!

 

While grade inflation might exist at some post-secondary institutions it has been my own experience that the schools I have chosen to earn credit hours, whether on-campus or distance education, are not engaged in such practice.

These days the bachelor-level degree has become the equivalent of the high school diploma of yesteryear - the minimum academic qualification for almost every job from janitor to executive. The 2-year colleges in the US are a great idea and means of allowing students to sample their academic suitability at the post-secondary level and earn an associate degree if successful before stepping into the world of 4-year colleges and universities. Slowly, Canada is starting to adopt a similar model but so far only British Columbia seems ready.

 

The second article that is listed on the value of a bachelors degree is excellent.

 

I remember the uproar at Duke and the tons of grade inflation stories. Fact is, it happens everywhere.

The long term issue is won't this devalue the degrees? Instead we live in a world where we might need something beyond Ph.D to show mastery of knowledge.

 

Janitor? Seriously?

 

Well, Janitor is not the professional title used by University graduates. I know few that work as "Property Managers". They basically collect rent, take care of the maintenance of the building, pay the bills, show apartments but they use "Property Managers" title in their business cards next to an MBA or BA rather than Janitor.

There are quire a few MBAs doing real estate as well when the job only requires few months of training.

 

Grade inflation is linked to the abuse of adjunct faculty. Some schools grant you contracts based only on student evaluations and nothing more. If you need to keep really high scores, you cannot afford to upset even one student with a low grade. I have received few emails from students blaming me for their future as I have ruined their perfect 4.0 GPA because they got a B+ in my class and many of these students really perform at C or F level but need to give them the B+ otherwise I will be out of the job.

I also have seen few student threatening administrators to switch to another school if I don't change their grades to As. In my case, administrators did not force me to change the grade but at least one student dropped the program because I wouldn't give him an A.

The result of grade inflation is the devaluation of degrees, employers don't trust the paper qualification and are now giving their own exams to prospect job seekers.

 

Actually Alberta Canada has had 2 year colleges since at least the 1960s and I am pretty sure for several decades before. I imagine other provinces have too. There are choices!

Sidney

 

Well I current teach at an Alberta College, also taught in Ontario...Canadian colleges are used as models in many other countries!